Method of making building structures



May 14, 1963 HELFMAN METHOD OF MAKING BUILDING STRUCTURES Filed Aug. 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 EINVENTOR.

LEROY HELFMAN ATTORNEYS May 14, 1963 L. HELFMAN 3,089,201

METHOD OF MAKING BUILDING STRUCTURES Filed Aug. 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

LEROY HELFMAN GLMW 45m ATTORNEYS 3,089,201 METHOD OF MAKING BUILDHNG STRUiZTURES Leroy Helfman, Detroit, Mich. Filed Aug. 2s, 1961, Ser. No. 134,186 2 Claims. (Cl. 20-.5)

This application, a continuation in part of my prior application Ser. No. 711,306 filed January 27, 1958 (now abandoned), relates to building structures and more particularly to a building structure characterized by the inclusion of a dormer as part of a remodeling operation.

Throughout the country and particularly in recent years, there have been built many dwelling structures having low level attics, namely attics whose maximum height is below the minimum height needed so that the attic can be used as living room. This application particularly relates to a structure wherein such structure is remodeled after the build-ing has been completed, particularly in response to family expansion, to provide living room in an attic hitherto useless as living room because of insufficient height.

More specifically, the invention provides a building structure comprising a modified old residence enlarged by the addition of a dormer in the attic, characterized by the fact that both during the remodeling operation and after the building is remodeled, shocks, loads and impacts arising during the building of the dormer and in the use of the dormer are in no way transmitted or absorbed by the lower floor ceiling joists, commonly called attic joists, and Ehus in no way transmitted to the ceiling of the lower our.

More specifically does this application disclose a building structure in which the dormer floor is spaced above the ceiling or at-tic joists to insulate these joists and the suspended ceiling from shocks, loads and impacts arising from the building of and the use of the dormer.

More specifically, this application discloses a construction in which the dormer is of four wall form extending across the ridge of the attic, with all four walls set in from the lower floor walls, with all four walls supported by the lower floor walls independently of the ceiling or attic joists, and with all four walls surrounded, at least at their lower parts, namely, at the dormer floor, by dead air space of the attic so that the perimeter of the dormer floor is insulated from the outside by the attic around the entire perimeter of the dormer floor.

Still further objects of the present invention and aspects of the same will best be understood upon reference to the appended specification and drawings.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation diagrammatic cutaway view of an existing house structure to be remodeled according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the same on line 2-2, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view like FIG. 1 but showing the house at an intermediate stage of the remodeling process.

FIG. 4 is a section view as if on line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a front view like FIG. 3 but illustrating the addition of a dormer to an existing house.

FIG. 6 is a cross section view as if on line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary View showing a detail of construction.

FIG. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that FIGS. 1 and 2 show a simple one floor, low level attic, dwelling known to the trade as a Cape Cod design, characterized by having four vertical walls, two of which 11 and 12 are the front rear walls and two of which 13 and 14 are the end walls. The four walls 11 and 14 define a lower floor 15 of normal living height. The lower floor is completed by the provision of a ceiling 16 suspended from ceiling ted States Patent 2 joists 17 with the ceiling joists bearing at their ends on the vertical walls 11 and 12.

While the joists 16 are here referred to as ceiling joists, it is common in the trade to refer to them as attic joists and the two terms will be considered synonymous in this description.

The house in its original built form has a low level attic 21 with a ridge 22 and roof rafters 23 hearing at their ends on the upper edges of the lower floor walls I l-'12.

Because of family expansion or for other reasons, it is often desirable to expand such a house. We now disclose a method of and a structure resulting from a modification of such house by building a dormer in the attic.

The first step in the modification is to cut in the roof a large rectangular opening 30 (FIGS. 3-4) extending across ridge 22. In such opening there is built a dormer 32 (FIGS. 5-6) having four walls 33-36, and a roof 37. Dormer 32 and its roof 37 also extend across ridge 22 and the roof height is sufilcient to enable dormer 32 to be used as normal living room.

For supporting a floor 38 of dormer 32 and also its four walls 33-36 and dormer roof 37 as well, there are provided dormer joists 40. It is particularly and significantly noted that dormer joists '40 are of a greater vertical dimension than the existing ceiling or attic joists 17. For example, if we use 2 X 6s for the ceiling or attic joists, the dormer joists are here 2 x Ss. The ends of dormer joists 40 bear on hearing blocks 40a (FIGS. 7-8) on walls 1112 and dormer joists 40 are interspersed among roof rafters 23 and ceiling joists 17.

The four walls 33-36 of dormer 32 are noted as being within the projected area of the four walls 11-14 of lower floor 15 and are noted as supported on dormer joists 40. These dormer joists 40 have their lower edges above the lower edges of the ceiling joists 17 and thus these floor joists 40 are free of and clear of the ceiling 16 and do not hear on the ceiling or on the ceiling joists 17 and thus the load of the dormer walls 33-36 and of roof 37 is not loaded in any way upon ceiling joists 17 or ceiling 16 of the lower floor 15.

Since the lower edges of dormer floor joists 40 (FIGS. 7-8) are raised above ceiling 16 by being supported on bearing blocss 40a, these joists do not load the ceiling 16 and loads on joists 4t) do not affect the ceiling 16 or ceiling joists 17.

More significant is the fact that during the building of the dormer, because dormer joists 40 are laid first after the roof opening 30 is made, many shocks, impacts and loads due to the building operation thereafter are not transmitted to attic joists 17 and thus are not transmitted to ceiling 1 6 suspended from such attic joists 17, the ceiling being not suspended from dormer joists 40. In this way, danger of cracking of the ceiling during the major part of the building operation as well as during the use of the dormer is minimized.

There is an air space in the attic now between ceiling 16 and dormer fioor 38 resting on dormer joists '40 and this dead air space is higher than the dead air space that would exist if dormer floor -38 rested directly on ceiling joists 17. Such dead air space is of value in uniformly transmitting heat from lower floor 15 to dormer 33.

It is also significant that dormer walls 33-36 are set inside lower floor walls 11-14; hence the dead air space of the attic surrounds the entire perimeter of dormer floor 38, shielding such perimeter and lower parts of dormer walls 33-36 from the outside.

In remodeling a house, the method employed is this: a rectangular opening, across the ridge, and smaller than the area encompassed by lower floor walls I l-'14 is first cut; then dormer joists 40 are laid down, using bearing blocks as necessary; then dormer floor 38, former walls 3 33-36, and dormer roof 37 are framed and built. Because dormer joists 40 are first laid down, many shocks and impacts and loads due to walking, dropping of lumber, tools, etc, laying and nailing of floor boards, wall frame studs, etc, roof rafters, etc, are taken by dormer studs 40 and not by ceiling studs 17.

Now having described the structure and method herein disclosed, reference should be had to the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A method for modifying an existing single story dwelling having an attic bottomed with ceiling joists for the ceiling below said attic and having a low pitched roof Whose ridge is so low as to provide insufficient head room for normal living activities in the attic; said method comprising the steps of (at) cutting a rectangular opening of room. dimension in saidroof at and through the ridge inwardly of the side and end walls of the dwelling;

(b) thereafter laying down end bearing blocks on the upper edges of the lower floor walls and between the ceiling joists, with such blocks having their upper surfaces above the upper surface of the ceiling;

' (c) thereafter laying down fioor joists under said roof opening and on such blocks and between the ceiling joists, with such floor joists having their lower edges above and free of the ceiling and having their upper edges above the upper edges of the ceiling joists;

(d) thereafter building room walls bearing on said floor joists and paralleling the dwelling walls and bounding said roof opening and extending above the ridge; 1 i

(e) and finally constructing a roof on the upper edges of the room walls.

2. A method for modifying an existing single story dwelling having an attic bottomed with ceiling joists for the ceiling below said attic and having a low pitched roof whose ridge is so low as to provide insufi'lcient head room for normal living activities in the attic; said method comprising the steps of (a) cutting a rectangular opening of room dimension in said roof at and through the ridge inwardly of the side and end walls of the dwelling;

(b) thereafter laying down end bearing blocks on the upper edges of the lower floor walls and between the ceiling joists, with such blocks having their upper surfaces above the upper surface of the ceiling;

(c) thereafter laying down fioor joists under said roof opening and on such blocks and between the ceiling joists, with such floor joists having their lower edges above and free of the ceiling and having their upper edges above the upper edges of the ceiling joists;

(,c') thereafter laying on said floor joists a temporary flooring;

(d) thereafter building room walls bearing on said floor joists and paralleling the dwelling walls and bounding said roof opening and extending above the ridge;

(e) and finally constructing a roof on the upper edges of the room walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 73,806 Hervey Jan. 28, 1868 249,645 Love Nov. 15, 1881 442,875 Fitch Dec. 16, 1890 1,404,963 Hyde Jan. 31, 1922 1,421,763 Caldwell July 4, 1922 1,465,899 Flagg Aug. 21, 1923 2,604,670 Horowitz July 29, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 910,918 France Feb. 18, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES American Builder, pp. -83, Mar. 1955. American Builder, July 1959, pp. and 91. 

1. A METHOD FOR MODIFYING AN EXISTING SINGLE STORY DWELLING HAVING AN ATTIC BOTTOMED WITH CEILING JOISTS FOR THE CEILING BELOW SAID ATTIC AND HAVING A LOW PITCHED ROOF WHOSE RIDGE IS SO LOW AS TO PROVIDE INSUFFICIENT HEAD ROOM FOR NORMAL LIVING ACTIVITIES IN THE ATTIC; SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) CUTTING A RECTANGULAR OPENING OF ROOM DIMENSION IN SAID ROOF AT AND THROUGH THE RIDGE INWARDLY OF THE SIDE AND END WALLS OF THE DWELLING; (B) THEREAFTER LAYING DOWN END BEARING BLOCKS ON THE UPPER EDGES OF THE LOWER FLOOR WALLS AND BETWEEN THE CEILING JOISTS, WITH SUCH BLOCKS HAVING THEIR UPPER SURFACES ABOVE THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE CEILING 